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about us | history

The Jenkinson Family
The Eastwood Park Estate is associated with the Jenkinson family
of Bristol. A family that has all had distinguished careers, with many
of the early members becoming great travellers and seafarers. They
are responsible for the Victorian country house present today with manyoriginal features.

Anthony Jenkinson a companion of the explorer Sebastian Cabot -
was also a traveller and attempted the first land crossing from
Moscow to China in the late 1500s.

Sir Charles Jenkinson - Seventh Baronet, First Baron of Hawkesbury
and the First Earl of Liverpool, bought the Estate in the 18th century.
His son, the Second Earl, was Prime Minister of England from 1812 to
1827. The peerage ceased on the death of the Third Earl in 1851,
when his cousin Sir Charles Jenkinson became Baron.

Family motto
The Jenkinson family motto “I obey, I do not serve/Pareo non servio”
can be seen above the stained glass window on the main staircase
of the country house, along with the Jenkinson family's coat of arms.The Estate has changed hands over the years and its new
owners have adapted the main Victorian country house and
adjacent buildings each time:

Turret clock
The clock is installed in what was the old stables building, now
offices. Benson, of Ludgate Hill, made the clock London – clock
maker to HRH Prince of Wales.
Mears & Steinback cast the bell in 1871.
The clock needs to be manually wound once a week.

Estate history
1865
Sir George Samuel Jenkinson succeeded to the family estate and
was responsible for building the house we know today. Architect
Samuel Whifield Daukes designed the house in 1868.
1916
The Trustees of the family sold the Estate to Mr Charles Tucker, a
farmer from Frome.
1919
The estate passed to Mr Harry Collett Bolt, a gentleman of
Twickenham.
1935
The Commissioners of His Majesty’s Works and Public Buildings
purchased 200 acres of the estate including the mansion house.
1936
The Home Office opened the Civilian Anti Gas School and a year later
the annexe was built. The name of the school was then changed to
The Ministry of Home Security Air Raid Precautions School.
1945
The school was loaned to the South Western Police District and
became No7 District Police Training Centre.
1949
The Home Office resumed possession and courses on Civil Defence
were run.
1969
The Department of Health and Social Security acquired the estate
and established the Hospital Engineering Centre.
1970
On 16 February the first residential course began for NHS engineering
staff.
1981
The Centre was renamed the Hospital Estate management and
Engineering Centre.
1985
The Centre became part of the NHS Training Authority.
1992
The Avon College of Health assumed management of Eastwood Park
as part of a consortium including the East Gloucestershire College of
Health. The Centre was renamed Eastwood Park NHS Training & Conference Centre.
1997
Fujitsu Services, then known as International Computers Ltd (ICL)
bought Eastwood Park Training & Conference Centre from the NHS.
2003
Ownership passed to Eastwood Park Ltd, following a successful management buy out.
2008
Eastwood Park operates three separate businesses including a
conference centre, an internationally renowned training centre;
and specialist wedding and special events business.
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